


A Dance of Shadows

by booksnerdharrypotter



Series: angst of crows [1]
Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Someone dies, hand holding, happiness, i guess, this is kind of sad, with a side of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-23 06:04:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12500484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksnerdharrypotter/pseuds/booksnerdharrypotter
Summary: Kaz Brekker hid behind his wall of armour and reputation.Inej Ghafa hid behind her wall of Saints and dark shadows.And sometimes its okay to lower those walls down.





	A Dance of Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first six of crows fanfic so i hope you enjoy xx

Inej Ghafa ran. 

She may have been an absolute mess, but she sprinted quickly and without pause across the rooftops of Ketterdam. Ruby-red blood streamed down from the jagged slice on her neck, cutting an inky trail of darkness down her vest and hooded coat. Some of it sprayed backwards and left a path on the roofs in her wake. One- maybe two- of her ribs were broken; she was left wheezing for breath.

The Wraith refused to be brought down by  _ her. _ Tante Heleen. Even the very name made the Suli girl shudder in disgust. She had been the next target on Inej’s list of slavers and procurers; Barrel bosses and politicians. True happiness would never have been achieved if that monstrous woman was still alive and breathing.

It had been a simple house along the canals that Heleen had been hiding in, nothing like her former grandeur. Inej in all her glory, with the help of her first mate Specht, had tracked down the place. The plan had been settled on the night before, and at first light, the Wraith had attacked. What she hadn’t expected was the Grisha that had (apparently) been indentured to Pekka Rollins and was ordered to protect Tante Heleen. According to the woman, the two former Barrel leaders had struck some sort of a deal to steal their home back from Kaz Brekker.  

It was a nasty fight, but Inej had prevailed. Tante Heleen was lying dead and gory out the front of her new house, the Wraith’s Saints blessed blades having been used to complete the deed. Sankta Alina had dealt the final blow. She was unsure of where the Grisha had gone after Heleen was dead, but she hoped that he had run far away from the streets of Ketterdam, for she had not killed him. Inej was never without mercy.

Despite how happy she should have been feeling, she wished that she hadn’t been left so beat up and bloody afterwards. The only true  opponent of the fight had been surprise. 

Inej continued to flit over the rooftops of the Barrel’s disarray of mismatched buildings, hurrying towards one of the only places she could consider safe (or as safe as she could be in this part of the city). The Slat.  _ Sankta Alina protect me.  _

She could see its dilapidated outside walls only a few buildings in front, its doors a welcoming sight. Laughter poured from inside. The Wraith ran through and into the building, not pausing as she pushed past the other Dregs. Some shouted out in anger, and some called out in concern. They were not her problem at the moment. 

The door to Per Haskell’s old office was closed, as was usual, and Inej opened it with barely a noise. Kaz Brekker sat at the rundown desk. As she walked into the room, he looked up, unsurprised. 

“Wraith,” he acknowledged with a rasp.

“Evening, Kaz,” Inej said as she blacked out, falling to the wooden floors below.

\----

Kaz Brekker would never admit it, but he missed his old spider, his Wraith. It was no discredit to Roeder and his ability to fly across the rooftops of Ketterdam, but Dirtyhands wished for her familiar presence. He knew that she would come back soon, but he hated the anticipation of  _ when _ that was actually going to happen. 

As soon as she had come running through the doors, he knew who it was. He, unlike almost every other living being, could sense her presence no matter how hard she tried to remain invisible. Like calls to like, and the two were most similar in their darkness.

He had not expected, however, for Inej to come crashing through the door. Nor had he expected her to be covered in blood or to promptly faint on the floor. As soon as she had begun to fall, Kaz had limped as fast as he could to catch her. He had only just caught her in time.

Dirtyhands looked down at his former second in command and assessed the damage. The cut on her neck was still dripping blood and looked as if there was shards of glass lodged inside the skin. She would definitely be needing stitches. Despite every fibre of his body repulsing at the idea, Kaz lifted up the edges of her shirt with his gloved hands. Mottled bruises ran up and down her toned stomach, as well as a bulge indicating a broken rib.

Kaz just stared.  _ What happened to her? Who had done this to my Wraith? _

As gently as he could, he carefully picked up Inej. He began the trek up the stairs to her old room, which had purposely been left empty, despite the protests at which it had been done so. The Slat had not changed much in recent months; nothing other than growing fuller as more younger people joined the Dregs. The buildings belonging to the gang had indeed grown more prosperous, but this particular one had been let alone. It was home.

When they reached the room, Kaz lay Inej on the small bed, carefully stepping around the discarded trunk. As he stretched his aching leg, he quickly called for another one of the Dregs to fetch a medik and for them to come as soon as possible. He could not- would not- be able to fix or bandage Inej’s injuries himself. 

It was a matter of life or death and he would gut anyone that tried to stand in his way of protecting the small Suli girl. 

\----

Kaz had fallen asleep with his head against the wall. He wasn’t sure why he had done it- he’d never fallen asleep on the job before. 

“Kaz?” Inej’s voice was hoarse, almost as much as his. “What happened?”

He stared down at her with unrelenting emotion. “I’d like to know that myself. You, of all people, came running into the Slat looking half dead. You caused quite a scene.”

Inej blinked her eyes. “I…” she trailed off. “I killed Tante Heleen.”

“I gathered that much from the rumours flying around the streets of Ketterdam. You practically mutilated her body.”

She tried to sit up but stopped at the pain flaring throughout her body. Kaz let out a huff of idiocy. “You ruined my perfectly good coat, by the way, with all your blood.”

With a sigh, the Suli girl glared. “I dare say you have enough  _ kruge _ to buy a new one. It wouldn’t kill you to have a little change in your life.”

Kaz had missed this; the easy banter and paying out on each other. He almost longed for another adventure like the Ice Court. Maybe he could earn a few million more  _ kruge _ , buy some more buildings and watch them all burn.

“Why send for a medik, Kaz?” she asked. He said nothing and the silence grew awkward. He wished he would say something- about caring, about anything really. “Just so you can protect your investments?”

Dirtyhands turned his eyes away from the girl on her old bed, the sheets swallowing her in their pale depths. “Yes,” he said, his voice coming out even more croaky than before.

He looked back to see the disappointment glittering in her eyes, her lips forming a little pout. He quickly amended, “But you are not an investment of mine anymore, Wraith. You are free to live your own life as you command it.”

She looked almost surprised, but a small grin was playing on her lips. He noticed that as she smiled, she began muttering. 

“Are you praying, Inej?” he asked.

The Wraith nodded. “I pray you learn that being crass is not the only way to live.”

“I do not need the prayers of your Saints. I am my own master, other than my god Greed and his mistress Desire. Save your wily words for those who truly require it.”

She shook her head at his words. The two were in silence for a time, enjoying each other’s company while it lasted. It would not be able to stay this way forever.

As he normally did in her presence, Kaz took off his gloves. He stared deftly at the pale long fingers that were normally hidden behind the leather as if they were a challenge he wished to overcome.

“I will miss you when I am gone,” Inej said. She looked at him, and he turned his eyes towards her. 

He sighed. “Then as I have said before, stay.” He said it, but he knew she would reject his offer.

“I can’t, Kaz, and you know why. This is my duty and my salvation.  _ The Wraith  _ is to set sail again in a week, but I do not know when I shall return.” She looked almost sad. “I know that I will never be done with Ketterdam, though.”

Inej looked almost expectantly at Kaz, who’s shields were slowly crumbling in her Saintsforsaken company. He briefly touched his ungloved to hers, slowly lacing their fingers together.

It wasn’t a kiss, but it was damn well close enough.


End file.
